The Minister of Local Government, Raphael Magyezi, has made the decision to cancel the scheduled launch of the construction of the new headquarters for Soroti District Local Government. The event was planned to hand over the site to the UPDF Engineering Brigade on Friday, July 7, 2023.
The construction project, which began its first phase in April 2023 under Laitech Company Limited, was halted due to investigations conducted by the Inspectorate of Government. These investigations centered around alleged procurement irregularities and mismanagement of the project.
Several contentious issues were raised during the investigations, including the selection of the site for the district headquarters, procurement shortcomings, land ownership, and the project's source of funding. The construction of the new district headquarters also led to divisions within the district council.
In a letter addressed to the Soroti LCV Chairperson, Simon Peter Edoru Ekuu, on July 4, 2023, Minister Magyezi raised four objections to the construction of the new district headquarters located along Lira Road in Katine Sub County.
Magyezi stated that the location of the district headquarters must be approved and gazetted by the Minister of Local Government after thorough technical assessment and consultations. He emphasized that since the area where the district headquarters is situated has become a Town Council, its status can only be approved by the Ministry of Local Government.
The Minister further noted that the construction of the district headquarters necessitates full commitment from the central government, including budget allocation, which Soroti currently lacks. Additionally, there are ongoing investigations into controversies surrounding the construction contract.
The Minister's letter mentioned credible information received by the government regarding potential violence during the planned construction launch on Friday. Disagreements among the population regarding the choice of Katine over Arapai without sufficient stakeholder consultation and government involvement have contributed to the tensions.
Magyezi requested that the district suspend the proposed relocation of the district headquarters to Katine until further guidance is provided by the Ministry. He also highlighted that his ministry has already advised all other districts affected by the creation of cities in 2020 to remain in their current locations until asset sharing and transfers have been resolved.
The construction of the new Soroti district headquarters led to the arrest of acting district engineer, Alex Oriekot, by the Inspectorate of Government in May 2023. The engineer allegedly failed to provide adequate documents to support the construction project. According to the Inspectorate of Government's report, the district procured a contractor who initiated construction work before the approval of the master plan, physical plan, and architectural design, including Bills of Quantities (BoQ).
In addition to the procurement flaws, it was discovered that the land on which the new headquarters was being built was leased out by Katine Sub County in 2018.
Minister Magyezi's communication follows a petition delivered to his office by a delegation led by David Orago, urging the government to halt the construction of the new district headquarters in Katine Sub County. Orago and his team argue that the new site is located far from the majority of sub-counties in Soroti, including Asuret, Aukot, Gweri, Awaliwal, and Ocokichan.
The petitioners claim that community leaders misled them into believing that there was no available land in Dakabela, Arapai Sub County, to accommodate the district headquarters, when in fact, there was an abundance of land.
